Project Description

The Media, Activism, and Participatory Politics (MAPP) Project, led by Network member Henry Jenkins and Sangita Shresthova, was based at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. The MAPP project conducted five case studies of diverse youth-driven communities that translated mechanisms of participatory culture into civic engagement and political participation. The project's findings revealed the interplay between individual growth, organizations, networks, communities, and platforms. MAPP researchers learned that these groups often succeeded by engaging in practices of cultural appropriation, storytelling and remixing, working across organizational contexts, deploying metaphors from popular culture, and drawing on sustained engagement with interest-driven and friendship-based networks. Over time, youth involved in these communities mapped innovative and imaginative trajectories that scaffolded existing skills and interests towards a sustained ability to achieve social change. MAPP research findings were published in By Any Media Necessary: The New  Youth Activism and numerous articles, and presented to the public in a range of forums. Working with the School of Cinematic Arts Media Arts + Practice Division at USC, MAPP researchers developed a series of multimedia resources to support educators -- in school and out -- to help foster actionable civic learning.

Case Study Working Papers

Shresthova, Sangita (2013) “Between Storytelling and Surveillance: American Muslim Youth Negotiate Culture, Politics and Participation.” A Case Study Report Working Paper. Available at: http://ypp.dmlcentral.net/publications/161

Kligler Vilenchik, Neta. (2013) "Decreasing World Suck": Fan Communities, Mechanisms of Translation, and Participatory Politics” A Case Study Report Working Paper. Available at: http://ypp.dev.dmlcentral.net/publications/164

Gamber Thompson, Liana (2012) "The Cost of Engagement: Politics and Participatory Practices in the U.S. Liberty Movement.” A Case Study Report Working Paper. Available at: http://ypp.dev.dmlcentral.net/publications/106

Kligler-Vilenchik, Neta and Sangita Shresthova (2012). “Learning Through Practice: Participatory Culture Civics.” A Case Study Report Working Paper. Available at: http://ypp.dev.dmlcentral.net/publications/104

Zimmerman, Arely, (2012) “Documenting Dreams: New Media, Undocumented Youth and the Immigrant Rights Movement.” A Case Study Report Working Paper. Available at: http://ypp.dev.dmlcentral.net/publications/108

Other Publications:

Transformative Works and Fan Activism, Special issue of the journal of Transformative Works and Cultures, edited by Henry Jenkins and Sangita Shresthova. Available at: http://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/issue/view/12

Jenkins, Henry (2012) “The New Political Commons.” In Policy Options. Available at: http://archive.irpp.org/po/archive/nov12/jenkins.pdf

Kligler Vilenchik, Neta and Sangita Shresthova (2013) “Case Study 6: The Harry Potter Alliance: Connecting Fan Interests And Civic Action.” In Connected Learning An Agenda for Research and Design. DML: 49-52. Available at: https://clalliance.org/resources/the-harry-potter-alliance-connecting-fa...

Zimmerman, Arely 2011. “A Dream Detained: Undocumented Latino Youth and the DREAM Movement,” NACLA Report on the Americas. November/December 2011: 15-17.

By Any Media Necessary Reviews

Review in Transformative Works and Cultures

https://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/1084/844

https://the-armijo-signal.com/4007/entertainment/book-review-by-any-medi...

Presentations/Panels:

Shresthova, Sangita. “By Any Media Necessary: Activism in a DIY Culture” Panel at Transmedia Hollywood Conference at UCLA (April 12, 2013) Info about panel: http://www.transmedia.tft.ucla.edu/conference/panel-3-through-any-media-... Panel featured speakers from MAPP case study organizations and networks and was moderated by Sangita Shresthova).

Shresthova, Sangita."From Participatory Culture to Political Participation" Panel at Futures of Entertainment Conference at MIT (Nov 9, 2012) (Panel featured speakers from MAPP case study organizations and networks and was moderated by Sangita Shresthova).

Other Outreach Activities:

Remix & Authorship (REQUEST)

The first call for contributions video for our MAPP/Participant Media/HitRecord collaboration

DML Connected Learning Webinars: Shresthova, Sangita and Arely Zimmerman. "Documenting DREAMs: New Media, Undocumented Youth, and the Immigrant Rights Movement" -webinar on Connected Learning TV (Nov 29, 2012).

Webinar for 4H: Kligler Vilenchik, Neta and Sangita Shresthova "Click Activism: Youth Civic Engagement Through Online Participatory Cultures" - webinar on CYFERnet (Dec 3, 2012).

Jenkins, Henry. "The Transmedia Generation: Spreadable Media, Fan Activism, and Participatory Learning" - webinar on Connected Learning TV (Nov 13, 2012)